The present invention relates to magnetic hard disk drives. More specifically, the present invention relates to a system for coupling a second micro-actuator to a drive arm suspension after a first micro-actuator has been detached from the suspension.
In the art today, different methods are utilized to improve recording density of hard disk drives. FIG. 1 provides an illustration of a typical drive arm configured to read from and write to a magnetic hard disk. Typically, a voice-coil motor (VCM) 102 is used for controlling the motion, across a magnetic hard disk 106, of an arm 104 of a hard drive. Because of the inherent tolerance (dynamic play) that exists in the placement of a recording head 108 by a VCM 102 alone, micro-actuators 110 are now being utilized to ‘fine-tune’ head 108 placement, as is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,198,606. A VCM 102 is utilized for course adjustment and the micro-actuator then corrects the placement on a much smaller scale to compensate for the tolerance of the VCM 102 (with the arm 104). This enables a smaller recordable track width, increasing the ‘tracks per inch’ (TPI) value of the hard drive (increased drive density).
FIG. 2 provides an illustration of a micro-actuator as used in the art. Typically, a slider 202 (containing a read/write magnetic head; not shown) is utilized for maintaining a prescribed flying height above the disk surface 106 (See FIG. 1). Micro-actuators may have flexible beams 204 connecting a support device 206 to a slider containment unit 208 enabling slider 202 motion independent of the drive arm 104 (See FIG. 1). An electromagnetic assembly or an electromagnetic/ferromagnetic assembly (not shown) may be utilized to provide minute adjustments in orientation/location of the slider/head 202 with respect to the arm 104 (See FIG. 1).
A bonding agent, such as a gold ball bonding (GBB) or a solder bump bonding (SBB) material, or silver epoxy (a typical conductive adhesive made of a binder resin and silver powder) may be used to physically and/or electrically couple components, such as a micro-actuator, to other components, such as a drive arm suspension. (See FIG. 4). Defects in components, such as micro-actuators, sliders (heads), and suspensions, are often discovered after coupling the components or after performance testing. Therefore, a substantial amount of waste occurs when scrapping an assembled structure that contains both defective and operable components.
It is therefore desirable to have a system for coupling a second component, such as a micro-actuator, to an element, such as a drive arm suspension, after a first component, such as a defective micro-actuator, has been detached, as well as having additional benefits.